Extension Program Helps Carter County Residents

University of Missouri Extension’s Family Nutrition Program provides assistance to more than a thousand Carter County residents annually.

Experts know that the obesity rate in Missouri is too high,” said MU Extension’s Candance Gabel, State Coordinator for Family Nutrition Education Programs. “Two ways to lower the rate are to teach people to choose nourishing foods and to increase their physical activity. Our curriculum focuses on eating better to get the nutrients necessary for good health.”

The Family Nutrition Program offers basic food nutrition education to low-income adults and youth throughout the state. The Carter County program is partially funded by the USDA and requires matching funds from local agencies, including Van Buren R1, East Carter R2, and the Carter County Health Center.

In 2009, more than 40 children in Carter County were participating in Extension’s Jump Into Action program, which is designed for 5th grade students and emphasizes the importance of physical activity in reducing both childhood obesity and reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Students use pedometers to measure increases in physical activity.